2023 - Page 36 Of 103 - Healthy News

Seven Healthy Habits To Reduce the Risk of Dementia

New research spanning two decades has found that following seven healthy habits and lifestyle factors, known as the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7, may lower the risk of dementia in women. These factors include being active, eating better, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, maintaining healthy blood pressure, controlling cholesterol, and having low blood sugar.

New research that followed female participants for two decades has found that seven healthy habits and lifestyle factors may play a role in lowering the risk of dementia. The preliminary study released on February 27, 2023, will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75^th Annual Meeting being held in person in Boston and live online from April 22-27, 2023.

The seven cardiovascular and brain health factors, known as the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7, are: being active, eating better, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, maintaining a healthy blood pressure, controlling cholesterol, and having low blood sugar.

“Since we now know that dementia can begin in the brain decades before diagnosis, it’s important that we learn more about how your habits in middle age can affect your risk of dementia in old age,” said Pamela Rist, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “The good news is that making healthy lifestyle choices in middle age may lead to a decreased risk of dementia later in life.”

The American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 is a set of health goals designed to help people improve their overall health and reduce their risk of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic conditions. These seven goals include:

Manage blood pressure: Keeping your blood pressure within a healthy range can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Control cholesterol: High levels of cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of heart disease.
Reduce blood sugar: High blood sugar levels can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions.
Get active: Regular physical activity can improve your overall health and reduce your risk of chronic conditions.
Eat better: A healthy diet can reduce your risk of chronic conditions and improve your overall health.
Lose weight: Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of chronic conditions and improve your overall health.
Stop smoking: Quitting smoking can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic conditions.

By focusing on these seven goals, individuals can make positive lifestyle changes that can lead to better health outcomes and a lower risk of chronic conditions.

The study involved 13,720 female participants with an average age of 54 at the start of the study.

After 20 years of follow-up, researchers looked at Medicare data to identify those who had been diagnosed with dementia.

Of the participants, 1,771, or 13{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}, developed dementia.

For each of the seven health factors, participants were given a score of zero for poor or intermediate health and one point for ideal health, for a total possible score of 7. The average score was 4.3 at the start of the study and 4.2 10 years later.

After adjusting for factors like age and education, researchers found that for every increase of one point in the score, a participant’s risk of dementia decreased by 6{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}.

“It can be empowering for people to know that by taking steps such as exercising for half an hour a day or keeping their blood pressure under control, they can reduce their risk of dementia,” Rist added.

A limitation of the study was that researchers were unable to look at how changes in factors such as quitting smoking influenced the risk of dementia later in life.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Intermountain Health joins medical research initiative

Utah-based Intermountain Health has been selected to join a nationwide initiative working to speed up implementation of potentially groundbreaking research in health care.

Intermountain is one of 42 health care organizations brought on board by the National Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to contribute to the Health Systems Implementation Initiative.

Providing up to $500,000 for an initial project that helps to prepare health care organizations with future strategies, the Health Systems Implementation Initiative aims to accelerate the use of published research, cutting down what Intermountain said is an estimated 17-year lag between publishing medical research and its use in health care facilities.

Further funding for health care systems involved in the initiative will be provided if health care organizations support other projects promoting evidence from the National Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

With every implemented project, health care organizations can receive funds ranging from $500,000 to $5 million.

Dr. JP Valin, the chief clinical officer at Intermountain Health, said, “We believe that every patient … deserves to get the best care and the treatment and the most up-to-date and state of the art care that’s being delivered.”

He said the 17-year lag from the time medical research is conducted to when it’s implemented in a facility is because of the process to learn new practices.

Currently, to keep up to date on new treatment and care, Valin said, medical professionals read through journals and attend conferences, which can be a somewhat lengthy process. Then, the research can begin to seep into medical training to benefit patients.

Intermountain has been putting forward an effort to share information faster. Intermountain, Valin said, “has done that through the work of its Healthcare Delivery Institute, which we’ve had for decades now, as well as our clinical programs work.”

Intermountain’s ability to quickly share information has been nationally recognized, and the contribution to the Health Systems Implementation Initiative will only further encourage the sharing of health care research, Valin said.

The Health Systems Implementation Initiative aims to create a platform where researchers from around the country can share their findings, deploying best-care practices in a facility where health care professionals can gather and share more information to improve patients’ health, said Valin.

Valin said, “Then we can publish that (information) and share that more broadly around the country.”

Participants in the Health Systems Implementation Initiative represent 800 hospitals nationwide, serving nearly a quarter of the U.S. population.

Including academic medical centers, community-based systems, integrated health care delivery and finance systems, safety net health systems, faith-based systems, public health care delivery systems, and a medical center within the Veterans Health Administration, the Health Systems Implementation Initiative is taking “groundbreaking” steps, said Nakela Cook, executive director of the National Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

Cook said these steps will “lay the groundwork for future expansion and broader implementation by demonstrating pathways to uptake and sharing lessons learned across health systems.”

This sharing and implementation of medical research has “never been done on this scale before across the country,” Valin said.

Valin hopes to continue implementing life-changing research to benefit patients nationwide.

Trial begins for fitness influencer accused of scamming thousands of customers

The trial of a Texas fitness influencer accused of scamming thousands of customers and misleading those with eating disorders begins Tuesday.

Brittany Dawn Davis, better known as Brittany Dawn, was sued by the state Attorney General’s Office in February 2022, accused of deceptive business practices by not delivering personalized fitness and nutrition plans.

According to the lawsuit, Davis charged customers $92 to $300 for her allegedly tailored plans and then failed to connect with them for their one-on-one coaching and check-ins, as promised.

Davis began her career in 2014 when she founded the company Brittany Dawn Fitness and quickly gained traction, the lawsuit said. She currently boasts 1.3 million followers on TikTok and about 467,000 on Instagram.

The lawsuit alleges that depending on the plan a customer purchased, they could receive daily or weekly training by email and one-on-one individualized coaching.

“However, the online nutrition and fitness plans delivered to consumers were not individualized,” the lawsuit states.

Brittany Dawn Davis in a profile photo from her social media account.

realbrittanydawn/Instagram

Neither Davis not her attorney returned ABC News’ request for comment.

However, in court filings, Davis said she denies “generally every allegation” made by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

According to the lawsuit, one customer only received a single email from Davis with no adjustments made to her plan. Another customer allegedly stopped receiving communication from Davis after two weeks.

Other customers received no responses or, if they did, they were generic, including phrases like “THAT’S MY GIRL! You’re killing it!” or “You’ve got this babe!” according to the lawsuit.

In addition to Davis’ alleged failure to provide coaching and check-ins, the lawsuit also states that she and her company “largely ignored consumer complaints.”

When complaints were addressed, only partial refunds were offered, according to the lawsuit.

A 2019 report from “Good Morning America” found that customers received anywhere from $50 refunds to full refunds if they signed an NDA.

Kenzie Andino told local ABC affiliate WFAA that she paid $300 for one of Davis’ plans in 2017 but says she quickly learned she wasn’t getting what she was promised.

“I knew what customized meant and that was not at all what I received,” she said. “In fact, the first document I received didn’t even have the right name on it. It was someone else’s name.”

Andino’s customized plan was a diet that had her eating just 900 calories a day. She told WFAA she sent Davis a long message addressing her concerns with her eating plan.

“I made sure to let her know that I was concerned,” she told WFAA. “My response that I got within — no lie — 45 seconds of sending it was ‘nice work babe’ and after that, I told her that I was done.”

The lawsuit also accuses Davis of misleading customers with eating disorders.

Davis posted videos on YouTube claiming she overcame her eating disorder with healthy eating and exercise, according to the lawsuit.

Although Davis claims she never accepted customers with eating disorders, at least 14 allege asking for refunds and specifically mention disorders, the lawsuit states.

One customer reported suffering from a restrictive eating disorder and that she was looking to increase her calorie intake only to receive an eating plan that was “significantly lower than what the consumer, who needed to gain weight, had reported,” according to the lawsuit.

After complaints of Davis’ business practices started circulating on social media in 2019, Davis posted a video to YouTube apologizing, but the video was “promptly” taken down, according to the lawsuit.

Davis appeared on “Good Morning America” in 2019 to address the criticism.

“I have such a heart for what I do and being in this industry,” Davis said. “I jumped into an industry that had no instruction manual. I’m basically going through uncharted territory and I’m doing the best that I can to the best of my ability.”

She continued, “I’m using this is a tool to learn and to grow as a professional and to move forward.”

The state is seeking damages between $250,000 and more than $1 million to cover civil penalties, attorneys’ fees and other costs.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office did not immediately return ABC News’ request for comment.

Council takes action to mitigate risk of medical devices shortage

Today the Council adopted a regulation which extends the deadline for the certification of medical devices. This measure aims to prevent that medical devices which cannot be certified by the initial cut-off date become unavailable for European patients.

Today we have agreed on measures that will allow the industry to continue bringing essential medical devices to the market and ensure that patients have safe access to medical devices.

Acko Ankarberg Johansson, Swedish minister for health care

A staggered and conditional extension

Producers of medical devices will now have until 31 December 2027 for higher risk devices and until 31 December 2028 for medium and lower risk devices to meet the legal requirements.

The extension of the transition period will be granted under certain conditions. These ensure that only devices that are safe and for which manufacturers have already started the certification procedure will benefit from the additional time.

Removal of “sell-off” date

The regulation adopted today also reduces the risk of medical devices shortages by removing the “sell-off” date rule. The “sell-off” date is the end date after which devices already on the market but not yet with the final user should be withdrawn. Only devices that comply with the previous EU law on medical devices will benefit from this rule. Removing the “sell-off” date will allow safe medical devices to remain longer on the market.

Background and next steps

In April 2017, the Council and the European Parliament adopted two regulations to improve the safety of medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices. Medical devices cover a broad array of products, ranging from hearing devices and wheelchairs to catheters and orthopaedic implants. One of the measures of the 2017 regulation is a more robust conformity assessment system of medical devices. The amending regulation adopted today does not change the requirements of the original regulations of 2017.

Under this system, by the end of the foreseen transition period of 26 May 2024, all medical devices have to conform with the new rules. But because, among other things, conformity assessment bodies suffer from capacity problems to (re)certify old and new medical devices there is a risk that at the end of the transition period a large share of devices will no longer be available to EU patients.

The decision to extend the implementation period will enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

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Heart-healthy habits linked to longer life without chronic conditions

The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 is a concept that defines cardiovascular health based on four modifiable behaviors, such as physical activity and sleep, and four modifiable biometric measures, such as weight, blood glucose, and blood lipid levels, that impact cardiovascular health.
The composite cardiovascular health score measured using the aforementioned eight metrics can help clinicians measure and monitor cardiovascular health to prevent or treat cardiovascular diseases.
A recent study showed that an optimal composite cardiovascular score based on the Life’s Essential 8 metrics was associated with longer life expectancy free of chronic conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
An accompanying study showed that the decline in deaths due to cardiovascular disease contributed significantly to the increase in life expectancy associated with good cardiovascular health.

Two related studies recently presented at the American Health Association (AHA) conference suggest that optimal cardiovascular health (CVH) was associated with a longer chronic disease-free lifespan, reduced cardiovascular mortality, and increased total longevity.

These studies assessed CVH using the criteria defined by Life’s Essential 8, thus underscoring the validity and utility of cardiovascular health scores based on this construct as predictors of life expectancy and cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Dr. Hao Ma, a biostatistical analyst at the Tulane University Obesity Research Center and an author of one of the studies, said:

“After decades of strong growth, the rise in US life expectancy has stagnated since 2010. The main reason for such a phenomenon is the poor cardiovascular health in the US population. Our study indicates that adhering to a high CVH, defined as the Life’s Essential 8 score, is related to a considerably increased life expectancy. Moreover, our findings lend support to the validity of the newly released Life’s Essentia 8 metrics in assessment and monitoring CVH in the general populations.”

In 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) developed a prescription for health called Life’s Simple 7, consisting of seven measurable risk factors or metrics that together represented cardiovascular health. The AHA revised Life’Simple 7 to create Life’s Essential 8 in 2022 to improve the measurement and monitoring of cardiovascular health and facilitate cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment.

The eight metrics comprising the construct, Life’s Essential 8 include physical activity, diet, smoking and other forms of nicotine exposure, sleep, body mass index, blood glucose, blood lipids, and blood pressure. Each metric included in Life’s Essential 8 is measured on a continuous scale of 0-100. These individual metrics are used to calculate the composite or cumulative cardiovascular health score that also ranges from 0 to 100 points.

Although life expectancy has increased in the past few decades, it has been accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular conditions and cancer. The combined effects of the metrics included in Life’s Essential 8 — such as being more active, quitting tobacco use and managing blood pressure — are associated with increased total life expectancy.

However, studies have not examined the association between the composite cardiovascular health score, calculated as defined by the updated Life’s Essential 8, and total life expectancy and disease-free life span.

Two studies recently presented at the AHA conference assessed whether ideal composite cardiovascular health scores were associated with increased life expectancy in the absence of chronic health conditions and reduced mortality due to cardiovascular diseases.

The first study examined whether the cardiovascular health score was associated with an increase in total life expectancy and life expectancy in the absence of chronic conditions.

The study analyzed data collected by the UK Biobank from more than 136,000 adults residing in the United Kingdom who, at the time of enrollment, did not have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, or dementia and had data on cardiovascular health scores.

The individuals were classified as having poor, intermediate, or ideal cardiovascular health based on the criteria defined by Life’s Essential 8. The researchers found that average life expectancy at 50 years of age was prolonged by 5.2 and 6.3 years in men and women with ideal CVH, respectively, compared with their counterparts with poor CVH.

Individuals with ideal CVH scores also had more years of life free of major chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer, than those with poor CVH. Specifically, men and women with ideal CVH were expected to spend 75.9{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} and 83.4{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}, respectively, of their lives in good health, whereas their male and female counterparts with poor CVH were expected to spend 64.9{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} and 69.4{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of their lives free of chronic disease.

Previous studies have shown that low socioeconomic status is associated with lower disease-free life expectancy. In the present study, researchers found that maintaining ideal cardiovascular health helped reduce the impact of low socioeconomic status on disease-free life expectancy.

The second study examined the impact of maintaining ideal cardiovascular health on potential improvements in life expectancy due to a decrease in cardiovascular deaths. The study analyzed data from 23,000 adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2018. Using a national death registry, the researchers determined that 1,359 participants died during the average follow-up period of 7.8 years.

Consistent with the first study, participants with ideal cardiovascular health had longer life expectancies than individuals with poor cardiovascular health. Specifically, the life expectancy of men and women with ideal CVH at 50 years of age was an average of 7.5 years and 8.9 years, respectively, longer than their counterparts with poor CVH.

Notably, 41.8{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} and 44.1{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of the increase in life expectancy at 50 years of age in men and women with ideal CVH scores, respectively, could be attributed to a decline in deaths due to cardiovascular disease. Among ethnic groups, the CVH score was also associated with longer life expectancy in White and Black Americans, but not Mexican Americans.

Both studies also had a few limitations. Dr. Ma noted that the data on lifestyle factors such as diet and sleep patterns from the NHANES database were self-reported and hence, prone to errors. Moreover, the metrics used to measure cardiovascular health in both studies were assessed only at baseline, but not during the follow-up period.

Medical News Today also spoke with Dr. Alexandra Lajoie, a noninvasive cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, who was not involved in the study.

“The results of these studies are not surprising. Research continues to show us that healthy lifestyle interventions are good for health outcomes, and often are even more important than prescription medications.”

Dr. Lajoie said it is possible to reverse some of the effects of not living a heart-healthy lifestyle earlier in life, but it’s better to consistently maintain a lifestyle that’s beneficial to one’s health.

“Of course the ideal would be to follow healthy habits from the start, but starting exercise, getting better sleep, and maintaining a healthybody weight improves blood pressure and blood sugar, and consequently reduces cardiovascular event risk, for decades beyond age 50,” she explained. “Quitting smoking is the best [thing] to improve heart health. After that it’s maintaining a regular exercise routine.

A Personal Trainer Shares her Favorite Cheap Healthy Foods

Inflation is really impacting food prices and, therefore, all our wallets are getting skinnier. Many of us have a tendency to assume that healthy food is expensive and it can be easy to feel frustrated when you feel like you have to choose between between saving money and eating healthy.

As a trainer, I believe that nutrition is crucial to good health and no one should have to skimp on that. There are a lot of affordable grocery items that are both healthy and inexpensive. Here are my tips for how to feed yourself — and your loved ones — delicious, nutritious meals that don’t break the bank.

A Personal Trainer Shares her Favorite Cheap Healthy Foods — Contrary to popular belief, frozen veggies are not less nutritious than fresh vegetables.Roberto Machado Noa / Getty Images

A cheap and healthy grocery list

Frozen veggies: I buy whatever’s on sale because they’re as nutritious as fresh produce, but don’t spoil. I throw them into a bowl and microwave them or add them to a stirfry.
Frozen berries: Whatever type is on sale dictates my smoothie flavor for the week! I’m partial to raspberries — I love the sweetness with a little sour — but if pineapple chunks are on sale then I buy those instead. They also serve as ice so that my smoothies aren’t watered down, and frozen fruit doesn’t spoil like fresh fruit so I don’t have to worry about wasting it. Plus, some berries — like strawberries — are so packed with nutrients that dietitians call them super fruits!
Canned tuna: This is a super fast protein I can dump on top of salads or put on top of open-faced peppers with slices of pickles and cucumbers on top for a crunch.
Chickpeas: Canned beans are great to have on hand, and I’m partial to chickpeas because, being Lebanese, I can easily whip up hummus for a protein-packed snack, or I can put them in the oven with some seasoning for baked chickpeas as a snack or salad topper.
Rotisserie chicken: Shred this already-cooked chicken and make chicken tacos, chicken dip or a chicken stirfry.
Tofu: Sub in tofu instead of meat for a vegetarian meal or a Meatless Monday. Or instead of buying pricey eggs, scramble tofu which has a similar texture to scrambled eggs to make your next breakfast scramble! You can also add tofu to smoothies instead of protein powder. If you’re not sure how to cook tofu, check out our guide for how to cook tofu.
Lentils: Lentils are another meatless option to get in protein. Whether you make a stew, soup, or are simply looking for a non-meat protein option on top of a salad, these beans are great for your wallet and your protein intake!
Store-brand cheese: If you don’t feel bloated after eating cheese, check out non name-brand cheeses at your grocery store that are still reasonably priced. Use cheese as a snack for protein or as a topper for warm casseroles!

Spicy Tofu with red sauce. — Tofu is so versatile that you can use it in everything from smoothies to curries. Wheatfield / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Healthy recipes on a budget

If you want to put some of these ingredients to use right away, here are some delicious recipes to get you started.

This smoothie calls for strawberries and blueberries, but you can use any frozen berry that’s on sale. You can also sub in spinach or another dark, leafy green for kale.

ClarkandCompany / Getty Images

These chickpeas are super easy to make and you can use them in a multitude of ways. Roasted chickpeas make for a great salad topper, and they’re also a great protein-rich snack.

Courtesy Matt Armendariz

This barbecue rotisserie chicken salad makes for a nutrient-dense meal any time of day and using rotisserie chicken makes it easy to make.

Laura Vitale

This chickpea and tuna salad is healthy, delicious and it requires no cooking! Win-win-win.

Year: 2023